Okena Seeks Partners For Intrusion Prevention

Okena is looking to the channel to boost sales of its intrusion-prevention software.

Executives at the company, based here, said they are building a network of partners, including large national integrators, regional security integrators and managed security providers.

Unlike intrusion-detection systems, which are reactive and dependent on signature updates, Okena's intrusion-prevention software takes a proactive, application-centric approach. The software intercepts application requests to the operating system and compares them with a company's security policy to determine which calls are allowed, said Ted Doty, director of product management. Okena recently released a new version of StormWatch, which features a modular format for enabling security policies, and a user-friendly installation process.

George Milliken, CEO of Farm9, a managed security firm based in Oakland, Calif., said the security industry has lost sight of the fact that customers want to prevent security breaches, which is what Okena's software does.

"That [prevention is really what customers want to buy," he said.

The latest release of StormWatch is more refined and easier to install, Milliken said. The software works on the Windows 2000 and NT platforms, which is what many customers are using, he added.

John Noonan, vice president of business development at Okena, said the company's technology offers solution providers the opportunity to sell products and services. The software can be customized to the end user's environment, creating service opportunities, he said.

Because intrusion prevention is a new category, Okena's technology can provide partners with a way to differentiate a security practice, Noonan said.

Okena offers training, sales leads and marketing support to partners. The company, which was founded in 1999, has signed 17 solution provider partners.

Pricing for StormWatch 2.1 starts at $3,500 for the management console, $1,285 for the server agent and $55 for the desktop agent. Okena offers margins ranging from 25 percent to 30 percent.

Okena also recently unveiled StormSystem, which executives described as an integrated system for intrusion prevention.

XChange Solution Provider 2015 is finally upon us and the timing couldn't be better. The premier channel event is happening March 1-3 in Dallas, bringing together 225 solution provider decision makers from across North America. CRN is at the event to provide news, analysis and a firsthand take from partners.